Electric locomotive



Feb. 16, 1937. E. GRAY ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE Filed May 15, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 R O T N E V m Feb. 16, 1937. E. GRAY ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE Filed May 15, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ml [dwarf/67a w n w mmr Feb. l6, 1937. E. GRAY ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE Filed May 15, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTO RNEYG Patented Feb. 16, 1937 1 2,070,895

UNITED STATES ATENT ()EFHIE ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE Edward Gray, Detroit, Mich, assignor of onehalf to Gar Wood, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 15, 1933, Serial No. 671,178

5 Claims. (01. 105-49) The present invention pertains to locomotives required to support the locomotive varies in acand more particularly to electrically driven lococordance with the weight and size of the locomotives. motive and that the present disclosure of three The primary object of the present invention is sets of wheels on each truck is by way of exam- 5 to provide a locomotive including a plurality of ple only. Inasmuch as there are three wheels on trucks equipped with independently rotatable each side of each truck there are provided three wheels and driving members arranged to rotate of the above described casings 6 and a drive shaft the wheels on each side of each truck independ- 9 extends through the three casings and is conently or simultaneously, each driving member for nected as at it) to an electric motor I I supported 10 each set of wheels having an electrically driven within the locomotive body I. The drive shaft lo motor for rotating the same. 9 has a plurality of worms l2 thereon, there be- Another object of the present invention is to ing a worm l2 meshing with each worm gear I. provide a locomotive including independent sets From the foregoing it becomes apparent that of supporting wheels with an electric motor for upon operation of a motor H the drive shaft independently driving each set and power generl6 connected thereto is caused to rotate worms l5 ating means on the locomotive for operating said l2, worm gears l and wheels 2. Four such momotors. tors are provided, two being provided to drive the With the above and other ends in view the two sets of wheels on the front truck, and two invention consists in matters hereinafter set being provided to drive the two sets of wheels go forth and more particularly pointed out in the on the rear truck, or in other words two motors appended claims, reference being had to the acare provided to drive fore and aft wheels on one companying drawings, in whichside of the locomotive and two motors are pro- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive; vided to drive fore and aft wheels on the other Fig. 2 is a cross section with parts in plan; side of the locomotive. Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a modi- Within the body I of the locomotive is pro- 5. fied application of the invention; vided a dual power plant of any suitable known Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section thereof; construction, either an internal combustion or Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse cross secsteam engine, or a combined steam and Diesel tiOn; engine. The numeral l3 designates an engine Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another embodihaving an engine shaft l4, there being one of 3 11181115; such engines arranged on each side of the loco- Fig. '7 is a horizontal cross section thereof, and motive body. Each engine shaft 14 is connected Fig. 8 is a cross section taken on the line 8-8 to a generator l5 and the current produced by of Figure 6. each generator is carried by lines Hi to a control Like characters of reference are employed device l1, and from the control device I! through 35 throughout to designate corresponding parts. wires l8 to the motors H.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2 the numeral With reference to Figures 3, 4 and 5 the nudesignates a locomotive body that is ultimately meral 29 designates a locomotive body beneath supported upon wheels 2 that are mounted on which aplurality of independently rotatable driv- 40 axles 3 that are secured in trucks 4 in any suiting wheels 2| are mounted to traverse rails 22. 40 able manner, the Wheels 2 on opposite ends of The structure for independently mounting the the axles 3 being capable of independent rotawheels 2! comprises an axle housing Zlarotatably tion. The mounting of the wheels whereby indereceiving the axle spindles 2th, there being an pendent rotation thereof may take place will be independent spindle for each wheel. Within the more particularly described later in connection locomotive, and duplicated on each side thereof, 45 with the description referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5. is a power plant 23 for operating generators 24, Adjacent each Wheel 2 there is provided a casthe power plant being of any well known internal ing 5, secured to the locomotive body as at 6. combustion or steam engine or combined steam In each casing 5 is mounted a worm gear i that and Diesel engines. Suspended beneath the locois connected by a universal joint to a connector motive with one adjacent each wheel 2! are a 50 8 and the latter by a universal joint to a wheel series of casings 25 having a worm gear 26 ro- 2. Any suitable form of universal joint may be tatably mounted therein and connected by conemployed, an example being shown and claimed nectors 21 to the adjacent wheel 2|. The conin my Patent 2,024,688, of December 17, 1935. nectors 21 are connected to the gears 26 by uni- It will be understood that the number of wheels versal joints and also to the wheels 2| by universal 55 joints, the joints being of any suitable type, or of the type shown in and claimed in my Patent 2,024,688, issued December 17, 1935. A shaft 28 extends through all of the casings 26 and has a plurality of worms 29 thereon, there being a worm meshing with each worm gear 26. The shaft 28 is rigid for all intents and purposes, but is composed of several sections removably secured together as indicated at 28a. Such joints are also shown in the issued patent above referred to. Adjacent the forward end of the locomotive is a motor 30 connected to the forward end of the shaft 28 and adjacent the rear end of the locomotive is a motor 3! connected to the rear end of the shaft 28.

In this arrangement the electric motors 39 and 3| on opposite sides of the locomotive receive current from the generators 24 on opposite sides of the locomotive to rotate the shafts 28, worms 29, Worm gears 25, connectors 2'! and ultimately the wheels 2!.

In Figures 6, '7 and 8 the numeral 49 indicates a locomotive body supported upon independently rotatable Wheels 4|. On the locomotive body adjacent each wheel is mounted a casing 42 enclosing a worm gear 43 that is connected to the adjacent wheel by a connector M. The connector 44 is of the universal joint type referred to above. The wheels are arranged in fore and aft sets, and the wheels on opposite sides of each set are geared together by a shaft 45 having worms 46 meshing with the worm gears 43. A motor 47 is provided to rotate each shaft 45, there being four of such motors and four shafts 45.

The current supply for the motors 4? relative to this embodiment is received from an over-head trolley wire or from a third rail in the manner common to electric vehicles.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described it is to be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is:-

1. In a locomotive, a body, a plurality of independently rotatable axles mounted beneath said body, means supporting said body on said axles, wheels mounted on the ends of said axles, a rotatable element mounted directly on said body adjacent to and co-axial with each outer end of each axle, electric motors in said body, drive shafts connecting sets of said rotatable elements together in tandem, said drive shafts being coaxial with and connected to said motors, and a universally movable driving element connecting each rotatable element and the adjacent wheel.

2. In a locomotive, a body, a plurality of independently rotatable axles mounted beneath said body, means supporting said body on said axles, each of said axles being formed in two sections with the sections thereof independently rotatable, wheels mounted on the ends of said axles, a rotatable element mounted directly on said body adjacent to and co-axial with each outer end of each axle, electric motors enclosed within said body, means co-axial with said motors for connecting said rotatable elements together in tandem sets and for connecting said sets to said motors to rotate the same, and a universally movable driving element connecting each rotatable element and the adjacent wheel.

3. In a locomotive, a body formed with a motor section and an end section elevated relative thereto, a truck swivelled beneath said end section and having wheels rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality of housings beneath said elevated section with a housing located adjacent to each wheel, torque transfer elements in said housings and universally connected to adjacent wheels, a power shaft in each housing and connected to the torque transfer parts therein, a motor in said motor section, means for attaching said housings to said body with said power shafts in co-axial alignment one with another and with said motor, and means for connecting aligned power shafts together and for connecting one of said shafts to said motor.

4. In a locomotive, a body formed with end sections thereof elevated relative to the mid section, motors in said mid section, wheeled trucks swivelled beneath said end sections, housings containing torque transfer parts disposed beneath the elevated sections with the torque transfer parts universally connected to adjacent Wheels on said trucks, power shafts supported by said housings and connected to the torque transfer parts therein, means for attaching said housings to said body to support said power shafts in co-axial align ment one with another and with said motors, and means connecting said shafts together in tandem sets and for connecting said sets with said motors.

5. In a locomotive, a body formed with end sec-.

tions thereof elevated relative to the mid section, Wheeled trucks swivelled beneath said end sections, housings secured beneath said end sections and normally supporting drive elements in coaxial relationship with the wheels on said trucks, power shafts in said housings operatively connected with said drive elements, said housings being individually secured to said body to dispose said power shafts in co-axial tandem sets with the axes thereof in a plane above the lower surface of said mid section, and motors individually mounted and housed within said mid section and supported thereby with their drive shafts in coaxial relationship with said sets of power shafts and operatively connected thereto.

EDWARD GRAY. 

